Maverick Mastery®

UK companies run the risk of slipping behind global companies if they continue to focus on things that can work counter towards improving the business through leveraging their talent.

Many businesses understand the need to develop and nurture their top talent but according to the CIPD Global Leadership Forecast 2008-2009 accountability for this lies mostly with the HR team and junior managers within the business. Only 19% of UK senior managers being held accountable, in global companies this rises to 36%.

Most business leaders are aware of the old adage ‘you get what you measure’ and this can explain why there appears to be failure in companies ability to ensure that effective leadership development takes place. Senior management abrogating accountability can be an effective way to ensure the success or otherwise of this vital development is hidden in a HR metric, potentially not even aligned to the business.

The CIPD found that 64% of UK companies felt that improving or leveraging top talent was a number one pirority for their business. To achieve this then overall accountability must move from HR (who should continue to support managers in this area) and junior managers to senior managers. This is the most effective way to ensure that talent management is taken seriously by the company and enables our business priorities like improving customer service and maintaining growth in increasingly competitive markets take place.

Senior management can be held accountable in a number of ways the most effective include:

• Align accountability for talent management to salary and bonus schemes

• When senior managers resort to the Board on their functional responsibilities like growth targets,talent management has an equal amount of ‘airspace’

• Ensure that senior management are not promoted unless there is a successor readily available

• Ensure that talent management is addressed as a senior management team not just an individual managers responsibilty

• Enable the HR team to hold senior management accountable to effect talent management as well as the Board.

The measures above are designed to ensure that senior management remains focused on developing and nuturing top talent as a key importance to the business. These managers are most able to define key talent’s career opportunities, morale and ability to perform well for the company via their direct control or patronage. If this ability is used well then the company is more likely to achieve its strategic objectives.

The pressures to work more efficiently are as important as ever in the current climate and deligation is often an area in which many small business owners struggle. Often used to taking control and managing tasks from start to finish, business leaders need to proactively manage their time so that it is spend guiding the business forward. Leadership specialist Judith Germain explains why delegation is so important in growing SME’s and why it should be seen not so much of a burden as it is a reward and may lead to the discovery of a successor within the business.

The importance of delegation within a growing business

Delegation is crucial for effective succession. A successor is much needed in a growing business, so everyone can move on to higher things without depending on people from outside the business, however this can be provoked if the manager fails to provide good delegation skills. Many growing businesses suffer because of the inability for business owners and key personnel to delegate responsibilities to their teams. This not only stifles the growth of employees but hampers the company’s ability to move into the right direction. This also stops them from meeting their personal business objectives.

When a manager can’t delegate properly he runs the risk of increasing employee turnover due to employees being de-motivated. The business is then likely to suffer as it will start spiralling out of control and become stagnant. This can be a result of either not enough delegation, or micromanagement, which occurs when the manager provides too much input and direction into the task he set to the assigned person, leaving them feel un-motivated and soul destroyed as they don’t get the freedom. Without following guidelines to good delegation your business may result in a slow death.

How to know what to delegate

Managers should delegate tasks to the subordinate that are non core to what they do. They should be tasks that will make the individual reasonably confident with completion and success but that will develop and stretch their knowledge at the same time. So basically you should give them tasks that could be done better by someone else but by letting them try they will feel more motivated, maybe even more than the usual person you assign to the certain task.

What the manager needs to do to delegate successfully

First of all he needs to make sure he has chosen the right individual(s) and that they fully understand the task provided. Secondly that they feel confident that they can achieve the task to a good standard, which you should then choose certain times of checking on their progress but make sure you don’t approach them too often or they may feel nervous of making wrong actions. You should kindly talk through a mistake with the individual if it occurs but do it in a way that’s still leaving them motivated. Praise them for good work as this will spur them on and make them do an even better job. Last but not least make sure that they have the resources they need in order to complete the task.

How to select the right people to delegate to

You should keep an eye out for the individuals who are operating below their capability, or individuals that are wanting to develop further, as well as the people that can handle additional workloads, or sometimes aim for the people who arent performing to their greatest abilites, especially the troublesome ones as this may keep them engaged in working more effitiently and enjoy their jobs more.
If you are not sure what tools they need, just ask them! Or show them someone who can guide them to success, for example someone who regularly does the task provided.

How to provide effective feedback

Feedback should be transparent, honest and constructive. You should criticise on what they are doing wrong but praise them for what they are doing right, and provide them with constructive critisism so its not taken to heart but will be thoroughly improved. Remember everyone learns from their mistakes.

What role remains for the manager once he/she has delgated

Strategic thinking or planning is not done by enough managers as it is quite time consuming, however once you’ve delegated it gives you time to focus on things that happen next instead of getting in a muddle. He/she will even be able to take time out to work on developing the team and improving the overall performance of his department or company. This leaves them on top and possibly ahead of other businesses.

Brand reputation is rapidly becoming the ultimate decision maker, but many small businesses are putting their earning capacity at peril by treating social networks as just ‘places to hang out with friends’, according to reputation specialist Judith Germain.

In an internet-led world where consistency is essential and everything that is recorded there is of a permanent nature, Germain claims that many business owners are simply forgetting that social networking sites are places where reputation and credibility is established, maintained and developed, and are not just a place to ‘hang out with friends’.

“Many business owners take a relaxed and whimsical approach to how they network on places like Facebook, which can be quite detrimental to them. Others join business networks and then remain ‘invisible’ to the membership, ignoring the opportunity to enhance their reputation and find advocates for their service,” says Germain, MD of Dynamic Transitions and Vice President of the BlackStar Life Members Community on Ecademy.

In her recent article ‘How to have the right reputation for your business’, which is currently the most liked article on Ecademy, (and originally published in Better Business), Germain reveals that brand perception and delivery is becoming all important for the survival of the business. Although small business owners often have a habit of believing that this isn’t an issue for them, not realising that it can determine whether their business stands out from the crowd and whether they will secure business from the competition. She explains that when businesses have chosen to pursue a pull marketing strategy (especially on a social network) they need to ‘pass through’ a number of stages to ensure that they are building the right reputation to gain advocacy.

“People increasingly buy from those that they know, like and trust, especially where the purchase is service rather than product related. Being credible and having a good reputational (personal) brand is essential, enabling the buyer’s decision-making process to choose you over another business each and every time. Your business strategy needs to incorporate your personal brand, and how you intend to leverage it. Remembering that with pull marketing, people will buy from those that they trust, it is therefore important to create a brand that is trustworthy, and consistent no matter where it is encountered,” says Germain.

Whilst the current economic climate shows no signs of improving in the short term, Germain believes that the increased competition for reduced customer spend has meant that establishing and promoting your competitive advantage has never been so crucial.

“A good, strong and credible reputation is the one thing which can provide you with the superior and sustainable leverage you need to survive the credit crunch, whilst others around you fall by the wayside, and it will not cost you a penny,” says Germain.

Judith Germain is managing director and principal mentor of Dynamic Transitions.; a leadership company specialising in working with Troublesome Talent ® and improving business performance within organisations. You can download their free article ‘How to have the right reputation for your business’ at www.developing-leadership.com/whitepapers.html For more information visit www.developing-leadership.com or email jude@dynamic-transitions.co.uk

ENDS

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I believe that talent management is the ability to nurture, develop and maintain talent, so the objectives of the organisation can be met. It is an holistic approach to managing talent rather than a specific component approach that many companies undertake. For example, concentrating talent management strategies on the top team or high fliers, rather than on key talent across the organisation.

This holistic approach is more likely to enable the manager to nurture and develop their troublesome talent®, who are often ignored or excluded from management development programmes due to their personalities or ability to cause disruption within a structured organisation.

The common question posed by a maverick is ‘why?’

Mavericks do not compromise their standards to fit in, and therefore cannot be managed conventionally. Despite the fact that they often do not utilise their talents effectively, mavericks tend to be the top performers in companies and within business. Common traits of low boredom and impatience mean they often have trouble articulating what they want or what they mean.

They are unlikely to go with the flow for an easy life, which is unlike the rest of the talent pool. These individuals will not only acknowledge ‘the elephant in the room’ they will actively try to drive it out – which is the exact reverse of what is expected in most companies and will often be treated which huge amount of suspicion. Managers may feel challenged by these individuals and react to them in an aggressive way, which will typically drive the troublesome to protest and then react by becoming destructive within the company.

How can you develop troublesome talent?

When you are considering developing your troublesome talent these are the three biggest challenges that they – and you – face.

Communication with others and the need to speak the truth

Whilst your maverick at work is very articulate, they may have problems communicating with others in a way that their audience can understand and accept. If you ask your troublesome talent whether you are doing a good job, and they feel that you are not, expect to receive blunt, to the point feedback on your shortcomings. They are extremely loyal to those that they trust and respect so if you are their manager and do not live up to their expectations – expect a rough ride!

For example, mavericks have an overiding need to tell the truth. They feel that to do otherwise affects who they are and lessens their integrity – one of the principles that they hold dear. This is why communication can be fraught, their need to tell the truth far outweighing the need to not upset someone else. The trait not to upset someone is not usually as well developed as it is in others. This is generally because they have such high self esteem, there is little that will upset them and they naturally feel that everyone else is like them. (Do not assume, however, that they are unable to be hurt at work).

It’s important to develop their communication skills and that doesn’t mean sending them on a communications course. What they need is mentoring on the cause and effect of their behaviour, tied in with a compelling reason for them to change. Without a compelling reason there will not be any change at all – they are not concerned with ‘fitting in’, so get to know them. What do they want? Promotion? Variety? Autonomy? Then tailor their learning on how they can achieve what they desire. Be realistic with them, don’t lie – if they catch you out, they will not forgive or forget.

High self-esteem and self confidence

This can often be interpreted as arrogrance rather than the high self confidence that they feel. Often, they only express an opinion with quiet insistence when they know they are right. This can mean they do not appear to listen to counter arguments or may appear to be inflexible once they have made their decision. It’s a problem of perception rather than just behaviour. This is a communication issue and should be addressed as such.

The need to complete objectives

Mavericks like to complete their objectives as they take pride in solving problems and finding solutions. They will often induldge in lateral thinking to solve the problem, seeing things missed by others. They are also likely to break rules that appear unimportant, or break with protocol to ensure that an objective is met. They are often punished or penalised for taking this route, which can lead them to becoming despondent and destructive.

Their development in this area depends on your ability to enable them to see the consequences of their actions. The effect of a single-minded pursuit for a solution can sometimes not justify the journey to get there. Often, troublesome talent is rewarded by the organisation for this behaviour (bigger bonuses, recognition) whilst at the same time being punished for it by HR teams or their manager. This is counter productive and can be confusing to the employee.

There seems to be a general lack of accountability for leadership development by senior management. But it is not HR’s responsibility alone to develop talented individuals – troublesome or not – they must be nurtured by senior management. Mavericks should not be ignored and companies that do, run the risk of slipping behind global competitors who recognise their potential.

Baby Boomers facing the choice of either early retirement on good pension plans or struggling through a recession where they are not appreciated or valued by their younger bosses; are likely to take the initiative and leave employment now. Thus leaving a huge skills gap in an already unstable market, warns talent management specialists at Dynamic Transitions.

According to Dynamic Transitions MD Judith Germain, organisations are increasingly realising that younger managers lack the experience and skills to effectively guide their staff through a recession, causing disgruntled baby boomers, who don’t see any benefit in working harder than they have to, opting to leave the workforce completely. Germain warns that this will leave a glaring hole in key positions across core business functions and predicts that many companies will now be facing the prospect of suddenly losing expertise and strategic direction at a time when it is needed the most.

“Younger managers and employees who face working in a recession for the first time can suffer from a lack of confidence and the key skills required to enable their employers to succeed. The reality is that this isn’t likely to be a short recession and there will be ripple effect across the industry for several years at least. These managers may have been more than capable in good times but now the pressure is on, many are finding that they simply don’t have the knowledge and experience to effectively manage and guide an increasingly unnerved workforce and experience shows that the best staff tend to be the first to jump ship if not managed effectively”, says Germain.

Germain argues that the need for effective Talent Management is becoming the most critical requirement for companies who wish to remain in business during the recession, as the lack of short term financial rewards and benefits diminishes, placing a greater emphasis on job satisfaction and a feeling of value. Germain also believes that the implementation of longer-term reward packages would help retain senior talent, a view mirrored by CIPD president Vicky Wright at yesterday’s CIPD Annual Conference.

“Companies need to invest in effective talent management programmes and leadership initiatives that are innovative and creative for the current times and encourage more experienced and senior staff to sign up for the long haul. Those that can achieve this are more likely to succeed and retain the key talent necessary to remain robust in these difficult times”, says Germain.

Judith Germain is founder of Dynamic Transitions Ltd, a leadership company specialising in managing Troublesome Talent®. For further information or to find out more about Dynamic Transitions visit www.developing-leadership.com or telephone +44 (0) 208 288 0512.

Dynamic Transitions Ltd enables companies to develop mastery in their leaders and the company’s strategic ability. Businesses want to be able to have a workforce that questions, challenges and refuses to accept a status quo which is damaging or disadvantageous to the company. It is only this acceptance of difference that can enable a company to grow and outsrtip their competitors.

Companies that are prepared to invest in developing their strategic ability are more likely to achieve their strategic objectives.

Do you run a Maverick Organisation? If so your company …

• operates in a fast moving, highly competitive market
• values difference and challenge
• haves the most talented employees in your industry
• values wilful independence
• is seen as ‘cutting edge’
• is admired by others

What you do is different …

We help organisations blend their knowledge and skills to out perform their competitors and be employers of choice. We support mastery by:

• providing innovative leadership training
• executive mentoring and coaching
• strategic consulting on talent management and leadership issues

Maverick Mastery^® is essential for organisations that are constantly evolving.

For more information contact us here.

As a result of an ageing workforce, a large number of senior management positions are likely to arise over the next five years, with very few suitably qualified or experienced successors available to fill them. So why is it that companies – and in particular larger organisations – are finding it increasingly difficult to keep hold of their top talent? Is it due to the fact that smaller companies are better at nurturing their talent and therefore see it as integral to their business? I explain why it is so hard for larger organisations to manage and nurture their most valuable assets.

In my experience, if large companies are finding it difficult to retain top talent, it is because they are finding it almost impossible to maintain their relationship with their ‘maverick’ or ‘troublesome talent’. (I define Troublesome Talent® as wilfully independent people)

This is an extremely common scenario as Troublesome Talent® are often recruited because they are highly skilled, have real flair in their area of expertise and have the ability to think up creative, innovative and lateral solutions where others are more comfortable choosing the most tried and tested ones. Troublesome Talent® or mavericks are extremely comfortable challenging the status quo and will doggedly follow the untested path if it will lead their company to success and personal recognition. This is contrary to most employees who actively prefer the certainty of the status quo.

This is where the danger lies for all organisations particularly larger ones. Only 20% of most workforces contain the top talent. It is these unconventional thinkers that drive companies forward through their relentless pursuit of continuous improvement and risk taking. It’s maverick top talent like Richard Branson, Ricardo Semler and Steve Jobs that make quantum leaps for their companies. Troublesome Talent can provide real competitor advantage and first mover status. Often customers and clients love their flexibility and their ability to deliver to their requirements each and every time. Their unique ability to sense what is needed and when enables them to get close to the customer’s need in a way that their competitors struggle to.

When they first join a company the maverick enjoys the flexibility and autonomy that they are given and this is when they really shine and deliver outstanding results. However, eventually, the company will require them to fit into its corporate structure – and begin to follow rules and this is when things begin to deteriorate.

The maverick cannot understand why they are suddenly being treated differently by the organisation and begin to react to the changed behaviour. They feel betrayed at the loss of autonomy and feel that the organisation has lost trust in their ability to operate successfully without supervision. Mavericks will not perform if they feel they are not trusted or if they feel that they have been lied to. Suddenly the organisation finds it hard to harness their maverick and keep them performing with minimal disruption to others.

At this point the organisation needs to look at what drives the change in the maverick’s behaviour and how to align their needs and desires to the organisation’s objectives. Flexibility in leadership style and understanding human nature is the key to achieving this.

When passion becomes destructive

Many larger organisations have trouble maintaining flexibility in their leaders’ styles. This often goes hand in hand with their inability to harness the passion of their top talent. Smaller enterprises do not have this problem because by their very nature they are flexible and passionate driven by the vision of the solo entrepreneur. With just themselves to please they inevitably follow their passions instinctively.

No-one has ever followed a leader that didn’t have passion. Passion for who they are, what they believe in and the direction that they want to go. Even ‘quiet’ leaders have passion, they may not have the oratory skills of JFK or Martin Luther King, but they have, nevertheless, the ability to stir their followers to a cause – a vision to strive for.

So passion is essentially a good thing … it helps us keep going when times are hard, rallies others to a cause, it builds global brands and companies … without passion a leader has no followers.

However, when passion is applied without good intent it can rapidly become destructive. Mavericks are generally very passionate people and can become very focused on singular activities. They have vision, strength of purpose, drive and direction – to the goals that they want to achieve. If their goals are not aligned to the organisation, then real sparks can ensue. Troublesome Talent® or mavericks, will do what they want to do, when they want to do it , so loss of the autonomy that drew them to the company initially can often find them spiraling out of control and losing their desire to achieve.

So how does the organisation turn around their destructive maverick?

Give them a compelling reason to change their behaviour

The organisation needs to ask themselves a number of questions, in an attempt to see things the way that the maverick views things. Mavericks can be highly influential and if they feel betrayed they can work hard to ensure they destroy the very thing that the organisation is trying to build.

Examples of questions organisations should ask themselves are:

• why has the organisation changed the way they are dealing with the maverick?
• what situation is the maverick in, what’s their perception of reality?
• How are they coming across – is the organisation using flexible leadership styles with their Troublesome Talent® or does one size fit all?

Armed with the answers to questions like those above will enable the organisation to enter into meaningful dialogue with their maverick. Mavericks only change when there is an overriding imperative to do so. Organisations need to restore the trust of their Troublesome Talent® if they want to reignite their passion in a positive way. With inspired leadership it will be easier to reach the maverick and harness their talent.

Troublesome Talent® also need to see the cost of their behaviour both financial and human. It is important to give the problem that they cause a human face. Let them reach their own conclusion as to the consequences of their actions and then ask them, how does the result that they see, achieve their end goal.

By ensuring that both parties’ objectives are aligned and that the maverick is given a clear path to follow and compelling reason to change, performance will return to previous impressive levels. It is likely that not only will the top talent perform better they will more likely stay within the organisation. Sadly, this is not always as easy as it sounds, as most large companies have complex rules that they need to follow and aren’t always accepting of the positive challenges that Troublesome Talent® can bring.

One of the biggest challenges facing businesses right now is a crisis of leadership. There is a need to ensure that the company will remain profitable, employees remain engaged and customers satisfied for the company to survive the current economic downturn. The second biggest challenge for businesses is to truly understanding what leadership is and how to ensure that it permeates throughout the company. This is, for many companies, much harder than it appears as this desire can often manifest itself as an increase in command and control management rather than a genuine improvement in leadership. Good talent management is hard to come by.

A true leader is trusted

The best way to distinguish management from leadership is to understand that management is generally concerned with controlling complex processes; and leadership is about managing and facilitating change. This manifests itself in the leader challenging the status quo and acting and thinking in a strategic way. Whilst management tends to be restricted to those in a management role, leadership is demonstrated by individuals regardless of any formal role with the company. By encouraging leadership by all employees is the key to a company’s success. Management and leadership is integral to each other and those that hold management roles need to have a good grasp and execution in both of these disciplines.

Leadership is getting things done through trusted influence. This implies two things, that the leader inspires trusts in his followers and he has the ability to influence others. To inspire trust the leader needs to be credible and have a good reputation. When deploying talent management strategies it is important to remember that employees are loyal to their leaders not to the organisation that employs them. With this in mind it is essential then that the development of leaders in the organisation, regardless of formal role, is planned, controlled and nurtured.

Good leaders are role models and have strong empathic characters that demonstrate high social intelligence. Social intelligence differs from emotional intelligence in so much as it focuses on the impact that an individual has on others. If you have high social intelligence then it is implied that you have high emotional intelligence as well.

How to develop trust

Trust = reputation and credibility; therefore to develop trust the leader must concern himself with having the right reputation and being credible in what they do. Employees need to believe in their manager and be able to consistently predict how their manager is likely to react in any given situation. This provides them with comfort and increases the chances that they will remain loyal to their manager. The basis of trust is character and competence. Questions to consider are:

• How much integrity does the leader have?
• Is the leader egotistical or humble?
• Is the leader’s intention honourable?
• How capable is the leader in his role?
• How does the leader’s track record stack up?

To develop trust the leader must provide the right level of autonomy to their employees. A leader that has an inappropriate command and control style of leadership demonstrates a breathtaking level of distrust in the employee’s abilities. This will encourage the employees to reduce their work performance and be less likely to be loyal to the manager or their company. Leaders in management positions need to be able to tell the truth at all times as this encourages trust in the relationship between the manager and the employee. The most effective leaders acknowledge other people’s contributions and not take a disproportionate level of credit for a job well done. They should be proud of an employee’s achievement and not feel threatened by their success. A leader that selectively shows their vulnerability to their employees, thus demonstrating that they are ‘real’ is more likely to engender trust. People find it hard to relate to individuals who seem strong all the time. The reverse is not true however, those that appear weak the majority of the time tend to engender distrust and contempt by those that should be following.

Credible leaders will be an expert in what they do, demonstrating a track record of competence that enables others to have confidence in their ability. They will treat others with respect and extend trust to others on a regular basis.

Trusted leaders are more likely to be able to influence their employees. With flatter structures and more matrix organisations it is increasingly likely that leaders are expected to manage employees that are not direct management reports. They are not responsible for their pay and cannot hire or fire them – they are, however, accountable for their performance.

With the credit crunch showing no immediate signs of ending, it will be imperative for leaders to work on cementing their credibility and trustworthiness, if they are to engage with their teams and encourage them to buy-in to the organisations plans for survival. Good staff are hard to come by and even harder to keep. In tougher times, a good leader will be fundamental in retaining and motivating the organisations top talent and preparing them for future succession. Equipping them the true qualities of leadership excellence is vital to securing the continuing success of the business in years to come.

Maverick’s can be an essential asset to any company however many are misunderstood and are often seen as being disruptive. In this article I look  at the role of Mavericks within any business and how to best harness their talent.

There are a lot of HR people who still play at the administrative level rather than the strategic level so businesses miss out a lot of key advice and help. My role in HR led me to mentoring as this it is about making sure the business meets it’s objectives through effective use of it’s people.

Within many organisations today there are problems with office culture. This needs to be altered before changes can happen. The first step is understanding what the culture is and what are the major drivers.

One of the first things you have to look at is which is the culture that the board thinks is the right culture in terms of their market place and how they want to achieve this. Without top level agreement from the board, there is no point in doing it. Once you have done that, it is a simple case of working backwards. It is all about behaviour. You cannot change people’s attitudes and belief systems because you told them to do it but by actually getting them to change their behaviour, they change themselves.

If you have a management team that does not take talent very seriously, and will not be held accountable for, they could be promoted without caring about whether their staff have been developed properly. Therefore one of the things you could change within a culture is training and mentoring, but also the senior managements pay structure. This means that they won’t get paid unless they reach certain development targets for their staff. Quite often, one of the ways to change a member’s behaviour towards their staff is to build it into the current structures that are already there.

What is a Maverick….

In my role as HR I quite often get asked to help manage Mavericks, often known as troublesome talent. A Maverick is someone that is wilfully independent. Mavericks can be divided into two categories, someone with a Maverick personality who is very wilful, and then you have people that have Maverick tendencies who in certain specific areas are wilful and that means that their work will be very different to anyone else in the industry.

Within companies we need to encourage Maverick tendencies and be very aware of Maverick personalities. Mavericks are really the ones that can help turn around businesses. They make up 20% of the talent pool and know what is going on whilst being very good at what they do. Unfortunately led incorrectly, Mavericks can cause 80% of the problems.

How do I know if I have a Maverick within my organisation?…. The Maverick type is someone that rather than just follow the rules, will actually look at the big picture and say “I don’t understand why you are doing this, it makes no sense”. They are very blunt individuals who will tell you how it is and often question “why” . They are not being challenging at an aggressive stance, they are doing it because they generally want to know and want to help.

Another way to know a Maverick personality is that they will think quite different from other people. They are quite fast thinking and are the ones that will see the next trend that is coming and start moving towards it.

Industries that Mavericks are within….

You will often see a lot of Mavericks in fast moving creative industries such as sales and media. These Mavericks are extrovert type mavericks. Mavericks within technical departments such as engineers and IT are quite often introverted Mavericks.

What are the differences…

• Extroverted Maverick – If you upset an extroverted Maverick, they will give you their opinion and tell you out loud “your wrong, this is the way it should be done, i’m not doing it this way”. You will know when you have upset them.

• Introverted Maverick – These might say “I don’t agree with you” but they will go ahead and do it anyway, you won’t be aware of them. Sometimes people miss that type of Maverick because they are not making a lot of noise so they don’t see them as a problem.

Is it important to find a company with which you are a good fit?…

With Mavericks, sometimes it is going to be impossible to get a real ft and that’s when you have to work round that and say what can they do to achieve in the company? One of the first things that companies can do with Mavericks, because don’t forget there’s not many true Mavericks in a company anyway, is to give them roles that are more consultative because Mavericks have got a very low boredom threshold anyway so when they have fixed the problem, they need to move onto something else.

Mavericks tend to do things when they think there is a compelling reason to do it. They tend to work in companies that are aligned to what they want to achieve.

If a company is going to do true leadership with a team of individuals and get the best results out of them, they will need to make sure that the things they want to implement and how they are going to implement them is finely tuned to the individuals. That is what true management is about.

Is there any difference for black Mavericks in the workplace?…

There are a lot of people who may put black people in the Maverick space when they are not truly Mavericks. This might well be down to stereo tying, and how the black person perceives themselves, and how they act. For example I have been saying that Mavericks tend to challenge a lot, ask why – and it’s for a genuine reason. If a black person does it, rather than actually seeing whether it’s a Maverick type challenge or an aggressive challenge, it might be seen as a aggressive challenge anyway when it’s not.

Lack of confidence….

A lot of Mavericks are motivated internally which means that if they feel like they are doing a good job, they don’t need to be told. An external person needs to be told regularly by people that yes that’s a good job. If someone tells them they can’t do it then they believe them.

Tips for becoming internally motivated..

One of the most basic tips is to understand what you are good at doing and what you are not good at doing because people that are externally influenced in a negative way tend to know their weakness really well but don’t know their strengths.

People should have their strengths on a list and then expand that list so they can say, this is how I use that strength. People might say I’m too trusting, and see that weakness. What does too trusting mean in terms of strength? These people will have a wide circle of friends which can be a major asset. Asking people that you trust, what you are good at and what you are bad at, and what they would change if they were you could also be useful.

You can also have a plan of where you want to be and break it down into steps on how to get there.

If you understand why people do the things they do, you can actually dis-associate yourself from their own behaviours, and that itself will make you stronger.

Confidence in the work place….

Whether it is your own business or in the workplace, no one can argue with true confidence. If you are not self motivated and you really don’t think you are good at what you do despite being told, you may need someone to work with you, as you might not have the skills to bring out your best qualities and this is where a mentor can really help you to gain the competitive edge.

One of the overriding problems faced by companies is that they struggle to effectively develop talent. Either preferring a one size fits all management style or employee reward package. In this blog I discuss whether employees should be groomed for management responsibilities.

Despite McKinsey’s War on Talent report 10 years ago – talent management in all its guises are still a strategic priority for many companies across numerous industries even now!

One of the dilemmas facing HR Directors today is whether they should groom employees from the beginning or whether they should allow the employee to feel their own way into management positions. The company’s talent management/succession plan will be decided based on the conclusion they reach. It is not an exaggeration to say that the future of the company can depend on the position that the HR Director takes.

Where do leadership competences come from?

Are leaders born or are they made? Dynamic Transitions believes that leadership skills and techniques can be learnt, transforming a poor manager into a good leader. Great leaders have been exposed to leadership concepts that they practice and demonstrate from early childhood. This early experience enables them to become great leaders in the workplace years later. HR Directors can design their performance reviews and training interventions to nurture or further develop these ‘early learnt’ competencies.

Dynamic Transitions believes that leadership is ‘trusted influence’ that has its basis in the credibility and reputation of the leader. The leader requires the trust and goodwill of his team to function well and that can only be secured if he has integrity and a flexible range of leadership styles which can be effectively implemented.

On the basis that employees remain loyal to individuals not the company it’s imperative that good leadership is demonstrated throughout the organisation. Talent management demands that talent is nurtured so that the company is able to fulfil its objectives and that talent is dispersed throughout the company. Both these concepts require the employee to have a persona that has high reputational value and a character that is ‘trusted’.

Grooming for management responsibilities?

In this changeable climate there is a requirement for workforces to be flexible and companies to be agile to survive. Therefore companies should be encouraging leadership competences in all its employees. The ability to think for themselves, make decisions that are perhaps beyond ‘their pay level’, developing into lateral thinkers with the confidence to challenge the status quo soon becomes a survival imperative. Demonstrating ‘traditional’ leadership competences then becomes the norm within the company with performance reviews and reward systems based, on some level, around leadership.

All employees should be provided with plenty of opportunities to develop leadership competencies in their normal day to day work. Talent Management strategies should groom all employees for management responsibilities, self leadership and self determination can bring depth to job roles and pride in one’s abilities. This is particularly important in environments where flat structures can inhibit upwards movement and economic climate can depress salary increments.

By establishing an environment where (self) leadership development is the norm it is easier and cost effective to identify those with management potential. It has the additional benefit of continuously improving the agility and competence of the company as a whole making it more likely for it to reach growth and financial targets.

Real leaders seem to possess inherent knowledge of people and it is this knowledge demonstrated as social intelligence, reputation (character and intent) and credibility (competence and track record) that can distinguish leaders from managers. Performance reviews and reward structures should be designed to nurture and develop these competencies, thus allowing those with management potential to be easily seen by management (for further development) and enable them to identify themselves as future managers. This is more effective than just following a strategy that requires individuals to feel their own way into management.

How can HR directors spot and develop potential managers without alienating the other members of the workforce?

If the company’s strategy is to nurture talent within its workforce by encouraging all employees to develop self leadership competencies, amongst other task specific skills, employees are less likely to resent the company developing others. This is especially true where reward strategies are transparent and fair to all.

Employees that demonstrate the ability to influence and motivate others, and knowledge of human behaviour to effect better performance, should be identified for potential management. This can be done by one-to-ones with their managers, performance reviews and succession plans.

Development can include coaching, mentoring and bespoke leadership courses designed specifically to fulfil the leadership deficit of the individuals. This should not be at the detriment to more general training interventions for the rest of the workforce.

HR Directors should ensure that all employees are encouraged to develop leadership competencies, thus creating a richer pool of talent, allowing the identification of those that have management potential to be simpler and more effective.